Quick Hit

Last weekends screw up is slowly coming off this week. Wish it were faster but hey you pay to play right? I didn't weigh myself this morning but yesterday morning I was sitting at 212.5. I haven't missed a workout this week and the majority have felt pretty productive. I have been battling a little bit of energy loss etc. Almost a little depression or something, just kind of feel like I am in a funk. I went to bed extra early last night and got a solid 8 hours of sleep. I guess I still woke up a 3-4 times for no good reason. I think my body thought I was over sleeping cause I got more sleep than normal. I don't feel as tired today so hopefully things will start looking up. I really have no reason to feel down I suppose (I have a good life, no complaints there). My diet has been good except I think I maybe incorporating a few to many carbs. I am not anti carb, I just know I have to keep them limited if I want to loose weight. So I need to adjust that back down.

On a side note my Uncle managed to sneak in a pic of me with my shirt off in the River this last weekend (even after i requested no shirtless fat pics of me). In his normal nice guy fashion he sent it out to god and country along with a bunch of other photos of the weekend. Needless to say i felt pretty pissed and repulsed (by my image). I think that may have started the funk that I currently am in. It just made me feel old, fat, and unsuccessful at my attempt at weight loss. I guess some good came of it cause I made a pact with myself that next year if he happens to snap a pic of me with my shirt off I will be looking totally different.


Observation 2... Swanks (aka swankywanker), I don't know if you read FAT blogs anymore but if you do why the heck did you block your blog??? Its a bummer cause I really enjoyed reading your posts when you posted. Hope all is well with you.

Anyway FAT keep the dream alive by loosing the pounds.

It's a Wrap

The big family camp out weekend is a wrap. Its amazing how fast these annual events come and go. To think next year my almost 4 month old will be walking and getting in to everything at 2 foot level or below. I am sure the few people who read my blog are wondering how I did this weekend. Well folks my diet did slip a little more than I had planned and packed for. When you share a campsite with your sister and your parents who eat the way you did when you got fat its really hard to resist temptation. Goes very far in proving why you shouldn't keep crap food readily available in your home or surroundings. I also partook in more alcohol then I have had in the last 60 days or so (The big family camp out is known for that). I did get in two good workouts which I felt good about, pretty much stuck to my plan there. Wed and thurs diet was fine but Friday and Saturday's fell flat. I was pretty down on myself yesterday, I have been so good about sticking to my plan for the last 2.5 months. I really felt like I had the "Eye of the tiger" going on. I guess it only takes one weekend to botch that though. Like they say there is no reason to cry over spilled milk so now and tomorrow is what I am focusing on. Yesterday when we got home I had myself on the treadmill for 40 mins running like a fool trying to make up for damage done. Diet was good yesterday, probably a little low calorie wise. My nephew had his 6th b-day last night and both my wife and I skipped the cake and ice cream. I feel like even though I checked out for a few days I am back, back to business on hand. Time to get back to new lows and I have a mid September deadline to make too. Anyway sorry for rambling, lots of stuff floating around in my head this morning.

note: 214 on the scale this am..... :(

Quick Blurp

Not a whole lot going on in Ripx world different from the norm. Been hitting my diet and workouts as planned. My weight is holding steady at 211 - 212 depending on the day. My runs are getting easier as my weight creeps down and cardio capacity seems to be up. Still not easy by any means but I find myself smiling while running from time to time or my mind sometimes wonders miraculously eating up time. When I started back at this journey a little of 2 months ago I could only do about 10 push ups. I went to max the other night and cranked out 35 which is pretty good for me. I feel like my legs are much more powerful too. Just for shits and giggles while at the park with my son I hung off the monkey bars to see if I could do a pull up. To my amazement I was able to crank out 1. Felt pretty good knowing I could pull my own big fat a$$ up at least once. I really do believe that I am changing both physically and mentally. Its a long road but it just feels good.

This week we have been making preparations for our long camping weekend. We are leaving this afternoon and not coming back until Sunday so I will be MIA for a while. Don't worry folks I have a meal plan and a few "outdoor" workouts in mind for my time away. Maybe some trail running HIIT style, rock lifting (dam building) to make a deeper swimming hole etc. Plus there is always the 211 pound body I carry around that I could do lunges, squats, push up, etc with. So I have a plan and now I must execute it. With that said have a good rest of your week FATers, I will see you all in blog land on the flip side.

What the Hell?!?! Weight Loss on a Weekend??

Today's Weigh in: 211 (new low)

Some of you might remember the Ripx of old crying on Mondays after a weekend. How I couldn't control myself drinking beer and chowing food. Well I don't know where that guy went but he hasn't showed up in months. Last night I had dinner at my parents house which used to be huge weakness. I called them up and asked them if they wanted to grill. They said sure and I said I would bring some steaks. I haven't had a steak in a long time but I was a man on a mission. Looking for a very lean cut and not huge. I found us four lean nice sized top sirloin petite steaks. My mom threw together a grub-n salad and some fresh melon. Shortly before we left to go over there I got in my run. A little over 3 miles @ 5.5 - 6 mph which is pretty good for me. Anyway, truthfully after a steak dinner I didn't expect any weight loss. I knew it was healthy food and I didn't feel guilty about eating it but I didn't expect weight loss. I didn't weight myself yesterday but the day before I hit a new low of 213. Today I see 211 on a Saturday morning ;) you could say I am pumped and got on the scale like 3 times to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. Makes me really want to go easy on my planned cheat meal tonight. Success makes a man really hungry for more. Hope some of you are experiencing weight loss on a weekend too :)

It Goes to Show You Never Know

Today's Weigh In: 213 (new low).

My diet has been really good this week, very similar to how it was last week. I'm hitting all my workouts like I did last week. Last week I couldn't get a pound. This week my body has given me 2. So I sit here scratching my head wondering what was the difference? I truthfully don't know but I like this week better than last week. I'm gonna KILL my workout tonight (in a good way) :).

Hope you are all having a good week also.

Quick Post

Today's Weigh In: 214 (new low)

Just yesterday I was complaining about not loosing any weight in the last 10 days. I woke up this morning and my body has finally decided to give me a pound. Hopefully it will continue this loosing trend. I would still like to be loosing about 2 lbs per week. I don't care how little you eat or how much you workout, seems sometimes the body is not willing to give up the fat/lbs. I guess that's why people talk about persistence and staying the course. Stick with your plan people, it will work. Billy wrote a blog a while back talking about how he has tried allot of things to loose weight and if he stuck to it they all worked. Moral to the story "my interpretation" is pick something and stick to it for a good amount of time. If your doing something its better than nothing.

Sacrifice Today for a Better Tomorrow

It's been 10 days since I have lost anymore weight. I am not sure whats going on... I have had my 1 cheat meal a week and worked out 7 of those days. My diet has been really good so I don't know what the heck is going on. This week I am going to really step it up and hopefully bring on some weight loss. I am ready to do whatever it takes even if it means skipping my 1 beloved cheat meal for the week, staying that extra 10 mins on the treadmill, or cranking out that extra rep. I have got to do something cause zero weight loss in 10 days is not acceptable. I feel like I have been working really hard and that my body should be giving me those well deserved pounds but its not. I guess in the past my body has done this to me before. It usually looses in spurts. However I cannot sit around thinking it will do the same again, its time for action. Its time for me to make sure it happens.

On a positive note I am loving the extra energy I have and not getting as winded etc. My muscles in my legs are really starting to pop out more due to all the squats and lunges etc. I am back to wearing my belt on the third notch instead of the second. All these things are great but in the back of my head I know 215 is never gonna be a good weight for me. Its gotta come down and down allot. I have some pretty crazy weeks coming up too. Its year end for us were I work so that means a ton of audit and year end reporting etc. We have a big camping trip planned for July 23-27th where booze and calorie laden food is king. The August 6-10th my wife is out of town and I am batching it with plans for a "Guys Weekend". So the potential for disaster is great and I must start making a plan for success. With that said, I must take a page out of my wife's model of thinking "Sacrifice Today for a Better Tomorrow".

FATers send me some good vibes for a kick ass next few weeks, may the FAT arrow fly true and strait in the next month or so!! ;)

Blowing FAT up on the 4th

Today's weigh in 215 (new low)
Ocean 11 6.5lbs lost

I managed to squeak out 2 pounds this week so that makes me happy. If I can keep that up then things will change at a pretty good pace. I have a plan for my meals today and am not really even worried about falling into 4th food. My parents are having their usual BBQ get together where there will be lots of temptation. But shit I face temptation every day at work with chocolate land mines around every corner on every desk. So I got this... Plus my cheat meal is planned for tomorrow and I am a man with a plan these days.

Will, Rise in July brother..... keep today clean!

Have a wonderful holiday!! don't forget to put old faithful out and thank those or remember those who have fought for our wonderful country.

Post 4th update:
Had a great time and kept my food really clean and in portion like I planned. I did however have 2 beers with a good friend I haven't seen in 6 months or so. I was plenty active with volleyball, trackball, Frisbee, and chucking the football. I am finally starting to look somewhat normal I think. My sister took this picture of me playing volleyball and I thought I looked ok. Still got a little gut as you can see and some other not so great parts but looking more tone in general. I felt really good also "physically". Never really got the winded tired feel I saw in allot of peoples faces and for that I know I am doing something right. Plus I wasnt all that sore the next few days after. Last year I felt crippled after the forth. Cant wait to see what I feel like next year. Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.

Bring it Will

Will, You know I am so there. I haven't fit the lack luster mold you spoke of in months and I am not letting off the gas pedal anytime soon. I know this is my time and I plan to embrace it. This Phoenix is gonna burn in July brother!!! Bring on 340 Will with no BS in the middle or I will be calling you out. You've talked the talk now walk the walk.

If your wondering what the hell I am talking about here check out Will's latest blog.

Slowly Falling

Today's weigh in 216 (new low). -5.5 in the oceans 11 challenge.

As always the weekend flew by like it never happened. We had a really good time up camping. Granted the experience is a little different when you have two young kids. Its not quite as much fun and a lot more work, still worth the cost of admission in my book. Every year camping will become more enjoyable. My oldest son (3) loves camping and I am sure my 3 month old will too as he gets older. I got a chance to put on about 60 miles on my little Yamaha AT1-125 motorcycle. My friend Dan who's family went camping with us has a Yamaha just like mine. We actually purchased them from my neighbor who is moving soon. Anyway I love to fish in the alpine lakes so we set off Saturday morning with the thought of fresh trout for lunch. We had our Gifford Pinchot National Forest map and set out on our adventure. After about 20 miles or so of gravel roads and climbing elevation we ran into impassable snow. There was another lake about 10 miles from there that I knew of and guess what, more snow. So we reluctantly decided we should head back to camp and help our wives with the children etc. The cool thing about it is adding the motorcycles to the trip makes getting there half the fun. Yeah we didn't get to fish but we sure had fun trying. The water in the Lewis River was extra high so it was hard to find places to swim. Snow melt off also made the water really cold and hard to handle for much time. My dad took the picture to the right about a year ago in the campground we stayed in. Its really a beautiful river/forest. There was allot more water this last weekend. I took my camera but totally spaced getting it out.

I pulled a double workout yesterday. Did a weights session in the afternoon and ran a 5k last night (32 min). Eating has been really good minus my one cheat meal a week that I allow (usually Saturdays). I have noticed that I need to eat more often on the weekends, I sometimes forget and that's not a good way to keep the fire burning.